Eye-muscle exerciser



May 17,1938. A B SAMS 2,117,825

EYE MUSCLE EXERGISER Filed May 18, 1957 mvEN'ron ATTORNEY Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class of exercising devices, and specically to an exercising device designed for the eyes, whereby the muscles of the eyes may be exercised to overcome weakness in the same.

The invention has for its primary object to provide a new and novel form of optometric exerciser, by means of which an Optometrist may treat his patients to overcome weaknesses of the eye muscles and thereby avoid the necessity of operating to overcome such weaknesses, as is the general custom.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exercising device which is of simple construction and may therefore be economically manufactured and which will be efficient to compel the eyes of a patient to follow the movement of oertain parts of the device and thereby obtain the desired eye-muscle strengthening effect.

o A still further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the above described character, novel means for simultaneously rotating and oscillating in an arcuate path, an object on which the eyes of the patient are fixed during 5 the course of treatment, so that a desired eyemovement may be obtained.

A still further object is to provide a device of the above described character which is so designed that it may be additionally employed as an advertising novelty if desired.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the inventionas expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View in elevation of a modied form of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the draw- 50 ing, the numeral I designates a supporting base having a tubular standard 2 through an aperture in the wall of which is threaded a set screw 3 for maintaining in vertically adjusted position inthe standard, the post 4 on which the eye exerciser is 55*y supported.

(Cl. 12S-25) 'I'he upper end of the post 4 has the outwardly and upwardly curving arms 5, the upper ends of which terminate in the bearing rings 6, and each ring supports a ball-bearing unit l.

The numeral 8 generally designates a globe which is preferably of aluminum or some other suitable substance. This globe is divided in two portions, and these are joined together by the overlapping joint or seam 9, and the portions are maintained in this joined relation by the shaft I0 which passes radially through the globe at right angles to the plane of the division between the members and has'its ends mounted in the bearings 'I to be supported by the arms 5. Threaded upon the shaft Il) are the nuts AII which bear against the adjacent outer surfaces of the globe sections through which the shaft passes, and these nuts serve to maintain the sections together in the manner illustrated.

Each end of the shaft I0 is squared or otherwise suitably formed, as indicated at I 2, to receive an end of a crank I3 by which the desired oscillation may be given to the globe when the same is in use.

The numeral I4 designates a post which has a reduced portion I5 which is held in suitable recesses between the abutting edges of the globe halves, and this post is retained in position by the nut or enlargement I6 upon its inner end. When the two halves of the globe are brought together so as to secure the reduced portion of the post I4 in the recesses, the post will be held against longitudinal movement but will be free to rotate axially. As will be seen, this post I4 extends radially of the globe and at right angles to the shaft I0, and the purpose for this particular disposition of the same will be hereinafter pointed out.

The upper end of the post is bifurcated or otherwise suitably formed, as indicated at` I'I, to receive an end of an arm I8 which is pivotally attached to the post and between the furcations by a pin I9. The outer end of this arm is formed to provide a stud 20 on which is rotatably mounted a disk 2| and the periphery of this disk rests against the surface of the globe, as illustrated. Since the disk 2| is free to rotate on the stud 20 and the post I4 is free to rotate in the opening in the globe in which its lower end is secured, it willbe readily apparent that a slight oscillation of the globe on the axis of the shaft I0 will cause the disk 2| to roll on the globe and by alternating the oscillations of the globe it will be seen that the disk can be made to swing back and forth or follow a complete circular path around4 the 55` surface of the globe with the post I4 as a center.

In the use of the present device the patient has his head placed upon a suitable support or rest so that only the eyes will be permitted to follow the movements of the disk 2 I; The eyes will then be fixed upon the disk and by giving an oscillatory motion to the globe through the medium of the crank or in any other suitable manner, the disk will be made torotate upon the surface of the globe at the top and it will also be made to swing through an arcuate path. It will thus be seen that in rotating the eyes of the patient will be made to swing back and forth and in following the arcuate path the eyes will be caused to move up and down while at the same time moving back and forth or from right to left. In this manner the muscles of the eyes will be thoroughly exercised.

While a crank means has been illustrated for oscillating the globe, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to this particular means as any other means which will accomplish the desired results may be employed.

While there has been illustrated a single disk member for rotation on the surface of the globe, it is to be understood that more than one disk may be employed if found desirable.

In the modified form of the device illustrated in Fig. 3, means is provided whereby the globe may be made to oscillate and the disk to rotate thereon independently of the globe movement. In this form, the standard is generally designated by the numeral 22 and is provided with the arms 23 terminating in the bearings 24, as in the case of the previously described structure. A shaft 25 passes diametrically through the globe 2G and has its ends supported in the bearings 24.

Mounted upon any suitable fixed support such as an adjacent wall, a portion of which is indicated at 21, or upon an adjacent fixed standard, is an arm 28 which extends out over the globe and terminates above the vertical center thereof. Attached to this fixed arm 28 by a joint 29 is a depending arm 30, the lower end of which has a joint 3| which couples it with the short diskcarrying finger 32. Upon the free end of this nger the disk 33 is supported for rotation and the periphery of the disk rests upon the surface of the globe in the manner illustrated.

Mounted preferably at the opposite side of the globe 26 from the fixed support 21, upon a fixed support of any suitable character, generally designated 34, is a support in the form of a pivot pin 35 upon which is oscillatably mounted the depending bar 36, the upper end of which extends obliquely across the top of the globe 26 forming a striking arm 31 for the disk 33 which operates as hereinafter described. l

Upon the end of the shaft 25 adjacent the arm 31, a crank arm 38 is attached. The lower end of this arm carries a weight 39 and a handle 40. The bar 36 is loosely coupled with the weight 39 in any suitable manner as by passing it through a loop or staple 4I in the manner shown.

The end of the shaft 25 remote from the crank arm 38 has encircling it a coil spring 42, one end of which is xed to the shaft, while the other end is fixed to the adjacent shaft supporting arm 23. This spring is in a position of rest, or in other words, is free of tension, when the crank arm 38 is in a vertical position, and depending from the shaft, but when the crank arm is oscillated the spring will alternately be expanded and contracted and therefore any oscillatory movement imparted to the shaft by the crank arm will cause the spring to function in a manner which tends to keep up the oscillatory movement given manually to the shaft. When the shaft is oscillated manually as described, the bar 36 will be rocked upon its support 35, and this will cause the arm 31 to sweep back and forth across the upper end of the globe with the free end passing over the line or path followed by the disk 33 as it rotates on the globe. Y

From the foregoing it will be apparent that by inititially placing the disk 33 in the proper position on the globe which would be at one side of the arm 31, and then imparting a quick swinging movement to the crank arm 38, the disk engaging arm 31 will strike the edge of the disk and cause it to rotate around on the globe about the depending arm. 30 as an axis. By properly synchronizing the swinging movement of the crank 38, the arm 31 can be made to continue to impart blows to the disk 33 as it rotates so that a continuous oscillation of the globe 26 and rotation of the disk 33 thereon, can be maintained as long as the crank 38 is maintained in oscillation and in such proper synchronization.

What is claimed, is:

1. An eye exercising device, comprising a globe supported for oscillation about an axis passing radially therethrough, an arm pivotally attached to the globe for movement about an axis perpendicular to the rst mentioned axis, a disk rotatably mounted upon the arm and having its periphery resting upon the surface of the globe, and means for oscillating the globe.

2. An eye exercising device, comprising a hollow globe, a shaft extending radially thru the same, supporting means for the shaft facilitating the oscillation of the globe about the shaft as an axis, an arm pivotally attached to the globe for oscillation about an axis disposed perpendicular to said shaft, said arm further being oscillatable vertically with respect to the globe, a disk rotatably mounted upon the free end of the arm and having its periphery in contact with the surface of the globe, and means for oscillating the globe on said first axis.

3. An eye exerciser comprising a standard having a pair of upwardly curving spaced arms, a pair of bearings each carried'by an arm, a shaft connecting said arms and having its ends supported in said bearings, a globe supported by said shaft and having the shaft passing radially therethrough, a post pivotally mounted upon the globe and extending perpendicularly to the shaft, an

arm pivotally attached to said post, a disk rotatably mounted upon the end of the arm and having its periphery resting upon the globe, and means for oscillating said shaft.

4. An eye exercising device comprising a supporting standard including a pair of outwardly and upwardly curving arms, a bearing carried by each arm at its upper end, a shaft connecting said arms and having each end supported in a bearing., a hollow globe formed in two sections and having said shaft passing radially therethrough, the two sections of the globe having their edges abutting' and in a plane perpendicular to the shaft, means carried by the shaft for securing the two sections of the globe together, a post rotatably secured between the abutting edges of the globe sections and projecting beyond the outer surfaceof the globe, an arm pivotally attached to the post, a disk rotatably supported upon the free end of the arm and having its periphery resting upon the globe, and means for oscillating the globe to effect rotation of said disk in a circular path thereon about the post.

5. An eye exercising device of the character described, comprising a body having a rounded top surface, means supporting said body for oscillation, means for effecting the oscillation of the body, a disk member disposed above and having its periphery resting upon the curved top surface of the body, and supporting means for the disk member facilitating its rotation in a circular path upon said body surface.

6. An eye exercising device comprising a body having a spherical top surface, means supporting said body for oscillation, an elongated member disposed vertically with respect to said top surface and extending radially of the same, an arm pivotally attached at one end to said member, a disk having the other end of said arm pivotally attached thereto and having its periphery resting upon said surface, and means for effecting the oscillation of the body and the rotation of said disk thereon about said vertical member as a center.

7. An eye exercising device, comprising a body having a rounded top surface, an oscillatably mounted shaft supporting said body, a disc disposed on edge upon the top of said body, means supporting said disc for rotation on the top of the body about an axis perpendicular to said shaft, a` pendulum like unit comprising a crank arm attached to one end of and dependingl from said shaft and carrying a weight upon its other end, and means facilitating the oscillation of said unit whereby said body Will be oscillated beneath the disc and the latter made to rotate thereon.

8. An eye exercising device, comprising a body having a rounded top surface, an oscillatably mounted shaft supporting said body. a disc disposed on edge upon the top of said body, means supporting said disc for rotation on the top of the body about an axis perpendicular to said shaft, a pendulum like unit comprising a crank arm attached to one end of and depending from said shaft and carrying a Weight upon its other end, a bar pivotally vertically suspended adjacent to said arm, coupling means between the bar and said unit whereby synchronous oscillation of the bar and unit may be obtained, means facilitating the oscillation of theunit, and means forming an extension of the upper end of said bar Which is disposed in the path of movement of said disc for engagement periodically therewith in its rotary movement about said axis on the body.

ANSONKB. SAMS. 

